Israel hit a Hezbollah communications system in southern Beirut, the first such strike in a week, as Channel 12 reported the military braces for possible retaliation. President Trump said the operation delayed a U.S.-Iran deal by hours and berated Netanyahu's judgment, while U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth called Israel's response 'restrained.' Iran warned of consequences.
Israel struck a Hezbollah communications node in the Dahiyeh district of southern Beirut on Friday evening, the first such strike in the area in a week. Channel 12 identified the target as a Hezbollah communications system. A senior Israeli security official told the network that the operation was carried out with the expectation that Iran would respond. The IDF is preparing for possible fire toward Israel in the coming hours, the same channel reported.
The timeline of U.S.–Iran diplomacy as reported by The Zioneer unfolded in rapid succession. At 19:09 Jerusalem, our first thread item reported President Trump telling Fox News that the U.S.–Iran nuclear deal would be signed in two to three hours. Within minutes, multiple versions followed: Trump told Barak Ravid that the Beirut strike delayed a signing originally scheduled for that morning; he then told N12 he would ask Iran not to fire missiles at Israel; he confirmed to Abu Ali Express the deal would be signed digitally that night; he told Fox News he reprimanded Netanyahu, asking “What the hell are you doing?”; and he warned that the strike jeopardized the memorandum of understanding. The White House account remained consistent — a deal was imminent — while the tension between Trump and Netanyahu escalated in real time.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth offered a contrasting assessment, telling reporters that Israel's response to Hezbollah was 'restrained' and that the deal signing is 'a question of when, not if.' His stance diverged from Trump's language, echoing the mixed signals The Zioneer reported earlier today. Iran, meanwhile, pushed back: Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf said the strike proved the U.S. cannot fulfill commitments, the deputy commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters warned that 'crimes' will not go unanswered, and Foreign Minister Araghchi stated that 'regional security cannot be shaped by eliminating or ignoring Iran.' Fars News also reported that Tehran is conveying desired clauses to the U.S. through Qatari mediators in Tehran.
It remains unclear whether the U.S.–Iran memorandum of understanding will indeed be signed within the hours Trump projected — earlier in the thread, Iran stated the deal was still under internal discussion and not yet signed — and whether Iran will follow the president's request not to retaliate. Israeli officials told Channel 12 that Trump's social-media attacks marked 'a resounding slap in the face,' a sentiment that underscores the unresolved tension between the two allies.
8 developments
- StrongNetanyahu confirms IDF strike on Hezbollah targets in Beirut's Dahiyeh
- ConfirmedTrump denounces IDF strikes in Beirut, calls for cessation of attacks on Hezbollah
- StrongAmit Segal reports mixed US signals on Israeli Dahieh strike
- StrongTrump says Israel's Beirut strike was not coordinated with US, plans to call Netanyahu to urge restraint
Source and signal
- Internal intake